


Building

by blackjacktheboss



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Single Parents AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28143039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackjacktheboss/pseuds/blackjacktheboss
Summary: building a life with someone isn't easy, especially when you're a single parent, but Percy and Annabeth decide to give it a try anyway
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 76
Kudos: 497





	1. Chapter 1

**Part I:**

When Amelia and Percy walk into the Beckendorf-Beauregard home, it is bursting with life. Music plays through the lavish penthouse, an upbeat baseline for the rhapsody of parental chatter and children at play, washing over the father and daughter as they are led into the living room. Balloons and streamers hang down from the ceiling like vines in a jungle and Amelia points up at a purple balloon that she declares will be hers when they leave the party. 

At the center of it all is Calvin, the birthday boy, with his mom Silena who removes a clip-on bow tie before patting her son on the butt, signaling him to get back to playing. 

“You guys made it!” she says happily as she notices them, approaching Percy for a hug and then sinking down to Amelia’s eye level. “Hello there, Ms. Amelia.” 

Amelia blushes and becomes uncharacteristically shy. “Hi, Ms. Silena.” 

“The snacks are over in the corner and the pizza is on its way, okay?” 

“What do you say?” Percy says, his hand resting on top of his daughter’s head. 

“Thank you,” Amelia answers, leaning back on her heels. She looks up at her dad and sticks out her tongue. “I’m gonna go play with Calvin.” 

“And she’s off,” Percy says, watching her disappear into the throng of kids. “Now where’s that hunky husband of yours?” 

Silena laughs as she stands back up. “He’s in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on some cupcakes. I’m sure he’d appreciate some help.” 

“Please tell me he’s in an apron,” Percy says pleadingly. 

“I guess you better go check for yourself,” she says with a conspiratorial eyebrow raise.

“Just don’t blame me if after seeing me in the kitchen he wants to leave you for me,” Percy says as he goes. “I would be a great house husband. “

“With that ass, I know you would,” she shouts after him. 

Percy throws a peace sign up over his head as he turns the corner into the kitchen. “Honey, I’m hoooome!” 

“Finally!” Charles shouts, his deep voice booming through the room. “Grab an apron, and a piping bag.” 

“Did you leave me the blue frosting?” Percy asks as he puts a  _ no bitchin’ in my kitchen  _ apron on. 

Charles laughs as he shakes some green sprinkles on the cupcake in front of him. “Duh.” 

Percy washes his hands and stands next to his friend as he dries them off, appraising the blank white canvases of frosting that lay before him. “Anything specific you want me to do?” 

Charles shrugs. “All Calvin asked for was green sprinkles, and Silena said to make sure we spell out his name and then she wants some cupcakes with the number six on them.” 

“You know, she harassed me on my way in here,” Percy says as he grabs a bottle of sprinkles. 

“Was it about your ass again?” 

“Obviously.” 

“If she wasn’t so handsy with me, I might be more worried,” Charles says jokingly. “Though, I don’t think she’s really your type anyway.” 

Percy frowns. “I don’t have a type.” 

“Oh sure you do,” Charles says, nudging Percy. “Blonde, legs for days, flirts with you every chance she gets.” 

Percy feels his face heat up and he shakes his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Sure you don’t.” 

“And even if I did like her!” Percy says excitedly. 

“Which you do.” 

“What makes you so sure she likes me?” 

“Like I said, she flirts with you every chance she gets. Plus she’s asked Silena about you.” 

“Really?” he asks, turning to Charles. “If you’re fucking with me, I’m gonna fight you.” 

“I swear to God,” Charles says, licking some frosting off of his finger. “You should go for it.” 

“Go for what?” someone asks. 

Percy looks to his right and sees Annabeth Chase holding a veggie platter in her hands and looking at them expectantly. 

“Oh, um…” he starts. “Putting Amelia in karate classes.” 

Annabeth smiles. “You scared of being her punching bag?” 

“Always,” Percy says, smiling back. All rational thought floats away from him as he notices how beautiful she looks, even in the plain jeans and striped t-shirt that she currently wears, and he begs his brain to keep it together. 

Charles looks between the two, who are now just openly looking each other up and down. “Well… I’m gonna go get Silena so she can tell me what I did wrong with the cupcakes. I’ll be back.” He pats Percy on the shoulder as he goes, giving him a thumbs up as he walks behind Annabeth to leave the room. 

“Um… you want some help fitting that in the fridge?” Percy asks, nodding at the veggie platter. 

“Oh,” Annabeth says with surprise, looking down like she had forgotten she was holding anything at all. “Sure. That would be great.” 

If someone had told Percy eight months ago that he would have a raging crush on the mom of a kid in Amelia’s class, he would have laughed in their face. But as he stands in front of the open fridge, unable to concentrate on the task at hand because he’s busy noticing the scent of sweet lemon that clings to the woman standing next to him, he realizes that he is the only person who deserves to be laughed at. 

“DADDY!” 

Percy sighs as he turns to face his daughter who stands in the doorway. “Yes, my love?” 

“You gotta come see Calvin’s train set!” 

Percy puts his hands on his hips and nods in Annabeth’s direction. “Did you say hi?” 

Amelia waves dramatically. “Hi Annabeth!” 

“Hi Amelia,” Annabeth waves back. “Did you see Teddy out there?” 

Amelia nods. “He’s being a dweeb and not playing, though,” she says with a frown. 

“Amelia!” Percy says, his brow furrowing. “Dude.” 

Amelia shrinks into herself and speaks softly. “Sorry.” 

“I will come find you in a minute,” Percy says, giving his daughter a pointed look. 

Amelia doesn’t say a word and high tails it out of the room, leaving her dad feeling deeply embarrassed. 

“Annabeth, I’m so sorry. She learned the word dweeb last week and… well, it’s been rough.” 

Annabeth smiles reassuringly and places a hand on Percy’s arm. “It’s okay, Percy. Really.” 

“Thanks,” he says, still feeling terrible. “She can be kind of a bully sometimes. Especially to boys.” 

Annabeth drops her hand from Percy’s arm, which makes him a little sad. “Wanna know a secret?” 

“Sure.” 

She leans in a little, making Percy’s heart pick up speed. “Sometimes a bully isn’t such a bad thing for a little girl to be,” she whispers.

“Sounds like that comes from experience,” he says conspiratorially. 

“Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime,” she says with a smirk. 

“I’d like that. A lot.” 

They both stand there blushing for a moment, when Annabeth seems to have a realization. “I should probably go check on Teddy and make sure he’s okay.” 

“Yeah, and I gotta go see Calvin’s train set, apparently,” he says with a laugh. “I’ll, uh, see you out there.” 

Annabeth nods and leads the way out into the fray, and as he appraises the craziness, Percy makes a mental note to never host a party at his apartment. 

Between the cake and presents and goodie bags, the rest of the afternoon goes by pretty quickly and Percy never quite finds his way back to Annabeth. As the party continues winding down, Percy is instinctually cleaning up stray plates and napkins when Charles rushes over to him. 

“You gotta leave,” Charles says breathless. 

Percy furrows his brow, confused. “You’re kicking us out? Oh god, what did Amelia do?” 

Charles chuckles. “Nothing, she’s been great. But look towards the door. Casually!” 

Percy’s head snaps to the other side of the room where Annabeth and Teddy seem to be giving goodbye hugs to Calvin and Silena. “They’re leaving.” 

“Exactly. And so are you.” Charles grabs the trash from Percy’s hands and gently pushes his friend towards the door. “What do shooters do?” 

Percy begins to bounce slightly, hyping himself up as he takes a deep breath. “Shoot.” 

“‘Atta boy.” 

Percy weaves his way through the small crowd of remaining kids and retrieves Amelia, who agrees to leave but only because she’s ready to collect her balloon. They rush through their goodbyes and Percy ignores the smug look in Silena’s eyes as she tells him to have a good rest of his day.

“Daddy, why are we walking so fast?” Amelia asks as she follows her dad down the hallway. 

“Just wanna make it to the elevator,” he says through labored breaths. 

“You’re weird,” she says, as she breaks into a jog to catch up. 

“Thanks,” he says as they turn the corner. He exhales in relief at the sight of Annabeth and Teddy walking onto the elevator and calls out. “Can you hold that please?” 

Annabeth moves her hand to stop the door from sliding shut and pokes her head out, smiling at Percy as he scoops Amelia up and strolls in. 

“Thanks,” he says, his cheeks flushed from a mix of nervousness and power walking. “These things can take ages.” 

“Oh, of course,” Annabeth says with a reassuring nod. “They can definitely be a pain.” 

The rest of the ride down is spent in comfortable silence as the kids look through their goodie bags and Percy can’t stop himself from stealing glances at Annabeth, who somehow looks good even under the harsh fluorescent lighting. 

_ Oh boy _ , he thinks.  _ I’ve got it bad _ . 

* * *

After realizing they’re headed in the same direction, Percy and Annabeth walk side by side, trailing behind their respective children as Amelia skips along with her purple balloon and Teddy methodically steps over cracks as his yellow balloon bobs along overhead. 

“What are you guys up to for the rest of your day?” Percy asks. 

“Nothing, really,” Annabeth admits, her eyes fixed on the back of her son’s head. “Probably gonna pick something up for dinner on the way home and call it a night. What about you two?” 

“Same,” Percy says, hoping Annabeth doesn’t notice the way he can’t help but continuously glance at her perfect profile. “Except I’ll be cooking ‘cause I owe Amelia some pancakes.” 

Teddy stops in his tracks, almost tripping his mom, and turns to look at Percy. “Did you say pancakes?” he asks with wide eyes. 

Percy laughs, overwhelmed by the abject cuteness of the little boy staring up at him. “I did say pancakes. Amelia asked me for some this morning but we didn’t have time so we’re gonna have breakfast for dinner.”

“Wow,” Teddy says, slack-jawed. “We only have dinner for dinner.”

“Would you guys wanna come over?” Percy asks, looking at Annabeth.

“Oh, we wouldn’t want to impose,” she answers. 

Teddy tugs on his mom’s hand. “But moooom, he said pancakes!”

“It’s no problem,” Percy assures her. “The more, the merrier. Right, Amelia?” 

Amelia nods. “I can show you my boat, Annabeth!” 

“Can I see your boat?” Teddy asks. 

Amelia shrugs. “I guess.” 

Annabeth pauses for a moment, looking between Percy and the kids, before finally shrugging in defeat. “Well, we’ve gotta see the boat, right?” 

Percy doesn’t bite back his smile even a little. “It’s a must see.” 

* * *

A jazz record plays quietly in the corner as Percy stands at the kitchen sink washing dishes, with Annabeth sitting up on the counter nearby as they talk about anything and everything. 

“HIYA!” Amelia yells, getting everyone’s attention as she jumps to face Teddy in a fighting stance. 

Teddy stands awkwardly, simply looking at her as if she’s from another planet. “No, thank you.” 

Amelia drops her arms and frowns. “You’re boring.” 

“You’re mean,” Teddy shoots back as he crosses his arms. 

“This is going well,” Percy says with a nervous look at Annabeth as he dries a plate. 

Annabeth looks over at the kids and shrugs. “They’ll figure it out, don’t you think?” 

“I guess I can be kind of an alarmist,” he admits as he throws a dish towel over his shoulder. “My parenting handbook got lost in the mail when she was born.” 

Annabeth turns to him, her eyes big. “No way, yours too? I thought I was the only one.” 

Percy laughs and feels himself relax. “Did you call customer service?” 

“Just kept getting robots. How about you?” 

“I didn’t make it past the hold music.” 

Annabeth tucks a curl behind her ear. “How long have you been doing the single dad thing anyway?” she asks. 

Percy huffs out a breath, crossing his arms as he leans against the counter. “Since she was about a year old. How about you?” 

“Since the day after Teddy turned two,” she answers as she looks down. “Is your ex still around?”

Percy thinks for a split second Annabeth may be checking him out, which makes his heart speed up. He looks down as he tries to refocus. 

“My ex, Rachel, is kind of a... free spirit. She, uh… I mean, she's a great mom, don’t get me wrong, but she wasn’t exactly built for a domestic life. She spends most of her year traveling, raising money for charities, doing art installations, stuff like that, and she pops in usually for Amelia’s birthday and sometimes Christmas if she can make it.” 

Annabeth looks over to where the kids have started playing a game of make believe that seems to be more Teddy’s speed.

“That must be hard,” she says. 

“Some days more than others,” he says with a small laugh. “I’m sure you get that though.” 

Annabeth looks back at Percy, her expression guarded. “Teddy’s dad wasn’t really built for domestic life either. He was the type to make a lot of promises he couldn’t keep.” 

Percy bites his bottom lip as he tries not to take Annabeth’s sudden withdrawal too personally. He knows better than most the type of pain that can accompany the fallout of feeling like you failed to build a family. He looks over at the kids, who are actually getting along somehow, and wonders how anyone in their right mind could not want to come home to Annabeth and her son. 

“His loss,” he says after a few moments of silence, looking back to Annabeth. “Cause Teddy… I mean, that’s a great kid, if I ever met one. You know he shared ten facts about dinosaurs in class last week  _ from memory _ ? It was pretty much the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life. And I’ve seen otters cuddling right in front of me.” 

Annabeth looks at Percy, and his heart soars as he watches the light return to her eyes. “He practiced the whole night before, he was so excited.”

“Well he did not disappoint,” Percy assures her. 

Annabeth’s smile returns, warm and bright like a cabin in the winter. “Thank you for saying that.” 

“I mean it,” he says seriously. “He’s amazing.” 

“Amelia is pretty impressive too, you know,” she offers. “On the field trip to the aquarium last month she was the only kid who could name all the fish they had seen at the end of the day.” 

Percy laughs. “She was so sad that I couldn’t make it on the field trip that she made me take her the week before so she went in a ringer.” 

“She played it perfectly,” Annabeth says. “She’s so tough and cool at just five, I can’t wait to see her when she’s all grown up.” 

“Oh god,” Percy says, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know if I’ll make it.” 

Annabeth softens as she watches Percy. “Something tells me you’ll do better than most. And having a tough kid is something to be proud of. It’s part of why I’m so glad that Teddy and Amelia are friends. I’m hoping some of it’ll rub off on him.” 

“You know, that brings up a very important question I have,” Percy says with a tone of seriousness. 

“Okay…” Annabeth says, squinting skeptically at Percy. 

“So, I know our kids are friends,” he starts, lightly pushing off the counter to move closer to Annabeth until he stands right in front of her. “But are…  _ we... _ friends?” he asks, his voice low and his eyes fixed shamelessly on her lips. 

She smirks, licking her lips and speaking in a tone that matches Percy’s. “I’ve actually been hoping that we could be… a little bit more than friends... What do you think?” 

Percy pushes himself closer still, wanting nothing more than to close the gap between himself and Annabeth. “I think… that I’d really like that.” 

Without another word, Annabeth’s hand is on the front of Percy’s shirt, pulling him towards her until his lips land on hers, soft and unsure. Annabeth quickly moves her hand to the back of his neck, pulling him forward and opening her legs to allow Percy to step in even closer as she deepens the kiss. His mind races while his heart comes to a standstill, and for a moment, everything is perfect.

But if there’s one thing Percy has learned as a dad, it’s that perfect doesn’t last. 

“DADDY!” Amelia yells from the other room, startling Percy and Annabeth away from each other. 

He steps back and runs his bottom lip between his teeth, nervously looking over to see that his kid isn’t even looking up. “Yeah, Peanut?” 

“Are the cookies ready yet?” 

Percy looks over his shoulder at the empty baking sheet that sits on top of the stove. “Not yet. Just a few more minutes, okay?” 

“Okay!” she shouts back. “Teddy, let’s go make a fort in my room. My dad will bring us the cookies.” 

“Sure,” Teddy says with a shrug as he follows her, and in an instant, the kids are gone. 

Percy’s hands are on his hips as looks at Annabeth, whose eyes are big as her hand rests over her mouth. She suddenly throws her head back, cackling, and it’s completely contagious. Soon, Percy’s sides hurt from laughing so much, and he can’t see through the tears that have formed in his eyes. With a few deep breaths, him and Annabeth’s laughs settle and they are left smiling at each other in the kitchen. 

Annbeth leans back on her hands and rests her head on her shoulder to look at Percy sideways. “You’re a really good kisser.”

“You have what I think may be the softest lips on the planet,” he replies as he begins encroaching on her space once more. 

But before he can get too close, there’s another tiny yell carrying through the apartment. 

“Mommy, help!” Teddy shouts. 

Annabeth smiles, and lazily drags herself off the counter. “That’s my cue,” she says. 

“I should probably get started on the cookies anyways,” he says, trying to play off his disappointment about the lack of kissing happening. 

Annabeth is now the one entering Percy’s space, placing a sweet kiss to his cheek. “Can we talk more later?” 

“Absolutely,” he says with a goofy smile, not even the least bit embarrassed that he can feel a blush painting his cheeks red. 

“Good,” she says, kissing his cheek again for good measure. 

Percy watches her walk out of the kitchen and listens as the kids cheer for her to help with the fort, which makes his heart flutter. 

_ Charles is not gonna believe this _ , he thinks. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Part II:**

Annabeth sits alone in the corner booth, slowly nursing a glass of wine that she ordered almost thirty minutes ago. Just for good measure, she checks her phone of the zillionth time and frowns when she sees there isn’t a single missed call or text. Sliding her finger across the screen, she pulls up a message thread with someone named baby💙 and types out a text. 

> are you sure you gave me the right restaurant? 

She gets a response almost instantly. 

> P: yeah, she’s just like this. I’m sorry!!!!!
> 
> A: Not your fault 
> 
> P: you have unprotected sex ONE TIME and suddenly you’re linked to someone for life??? 
> 
> A: don’t I know it

Annabeth puts her phone down and looks up in time to see a woman in a paint splattered jean jacket with red hair tied into a messy bun approaching the table. 

“Rachel, hi,” Annabeth says as she moves to stand. 

“Hi Annabeth,” Rachel says with a reserved smile as her and Annabeth hug, albeit a bit awkwardly. “It’s great to finally meet you in person.” 

“Yeah,” Annabeth agrees. “You’re a lot less staticky in person.” 

Rachel laughs as she takes her seat. “You know, I get that a lot. And I’m really sorry about being so late. I got really into this portrait I was working on and by the time I looked up, I was already late.” 

Annabeth waves the apology away. “Don’t even worry about it, I can get really lost in my work too.” 

“You’re an architect, right?” Rachel asks as she pursues the drink menu. “Amelia said you draw buildings.” 

Annabeth laughs at the description of her job that she’s heard Amelia give to too many people to count. “Yeah, she really drilled my job down to its basics.” 

“A specialty of hers,” Rachel says with an affectionate smile. 

The waiter interrupts and gets Rachel’s drink order, returning promptly with the old fashioned she requested. Melting back into her seat, she sighs as she takes her first sip. 

“You know, I love traveling, but no one makes an old-fashioned like a New York bartender,” Rachel says. She rolls her shoulders and sits back up with near perfect posture, placing her hands on the table top. “So. I guess we should probably just get right to it and talk about the fact that you’re sleeping with my ex boyfriend slash baby daddy.” 

Annabeth’s sip of wine gets caught in her throat, and she closes her eyes as she forces it down. “I can see where Amelia gets her penchant for straight talk.” 

Rachel shrugs. “She may not look much like me, but she’s definitely my daughter. Poor Percy.” 

Annabeth laughs, relaxing a little. “He’s been pretty nervous about us meeting,” she admits. 

“Oh really?” 

Annabeth nods as she keeps her eyes on the base of her wine glass. “I think he’s worried you might scare me off or something.” 

Rachel laughs and sinks back into the booth. “I guess I should be flattered he thinks I would be able to intimidate you.” 

Annabeth looks up, her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” 

Rachel takes a sip of her drink, biting her lip as she puts it back down on the table. “Oh, you know. The idea of me, the absent mother who runs around the world using her daddy’s money, intimidating you, the self made architect who, according to Percy, is also this amazing super mom who does it all. It’s just kinda funny.” 

Annabeth is quiet for a moment as she processes Rachel’s words, working to discern if they had complimentary or insults or both. “I’m not a super mom,” is all she can come up with. 

“Percy thinks you are. I mean, he doesn’t shut up about you, but one of the main things he says is what a good mom you are.” 

Annabeth feels her face get hot and she wishes she could say it was the wine. “He's told me a lot about you too.” 

“You don’t have to lie,” Rachel says, more playful than actual accusation. 

“I’m not lying,” Annabeth says, sitting up. “He has only ever said that you’re a great mom.” 

Rachel nods but keeps her eyes on her drink. “That’s just because he’s basically the sweetest person alive. And I’ve met a lot of people, so I can say that pretty definitively.” 

“I would have to agree,” Annabeth says, watching the redhead carefully. 

“Listen, like we said, I’m not great at dancing around subjects so I’m just gonna say what I came to say.” 

“Okay…” Annabeth says as her nerves begin twisting her stomach into knots. 

“Percy Jackson is the best person I’ve ever met,” Rachel says, finally looking Annabeth in the eye. “Things didn’t work out with us because at the end of the day, we didn’t exactly bring out the best in each other, and we also wanted really different things out of life. That being said, there’s also no one I know who deserves to be happy more than Percy. He’s a better parent than I could have ever hoped for and he’s only ever been better to me than I deserve, which is why I’m gonna have to warn you against hurting him.” 

Annabeth chews on her bottom lip as she listens, trying to decipher is Rachel is done or if she’s just pausing. 

She’s just pausing. 

“My family has a wide network of connections and a lot of people who would kill their own families to get in our good graces. And while normally, I stay out of that hunger games arena, I would gladly enter it to hurt anyone that hurts Percy. Especially if that person also hurts Amelia while they’re at it.” 

“I’m not gonna hurt them,” Annabeth says without missing a beat. “I love them both more than I can even say with words.” 

Loving Percy and Amelia Jackson comes as easily to Annabeth as breathing. From the night Percy and her kissed in his kitchen, the two families had almost seamlessly merged into one, and Annabeth can’t imagine herself doing anything to jeopardize that. Not in a million years. 

Rachel watches her for a moment, as if examining for any hint of a façade, but finding none, she relaxes again and smiles. “They love you too.” 

Annabeth grabs her glass of wine and raises it. “To the Jacksons?” 

Rachel raises her glass in kind, gently clinking it against Annabeth’s. “To the Jacksons. But also seriously, I looked into it and your company is a subsidiary of a subsidiary of an offshoot of my dad’s company.” 

“How rich are you?” Annabeth asks in a dramatic whisper as she leans in. 

“It’s honestly gross.” 

“So that boat Amelia’s always saying she has…” 

“It’s a real boat. My dad got it for her on her second birthday,” Rachel confirms. “Currently docked in Saint Lucia.” 

“Huh,” Annabeth says, lifting her glass to take a sip. “Cool.” 

* * *

The early spring air carries a chill that runs right through Percy, down into his bones. He sticks his hands further into his pockets as he rounds the corner and approaches Chiron’s building, sighing in relief at the blast of warm air that washes over him when he enters. 

He quickly jogs up two flights of stairs and strides down the hallway until he reaches apartment 2C, where he knocks twice on the door. 

“Percy!” Teddy shouts happily as he swings the door open. 

“Hey, Bear!” Percy cheers, leaning down to swoop Teddy into his arms as he walks into the apartment. “Did you have fun with Uncle C?” 

Teddy nods emphatically. “We did so many puzzles, there was even one with an owl!” he shouts, circling his hands in front of his eyes. 

Percy laughs and stops as the living room opens up in front of him, where Chiron sits in his leather armchair looking exhausted. “Did the kid wear you out, old man?” 

Chiron chuckles as he stands. “I survived Annabeth as a teenager so I won’t take any lip from you about this six year old.” 

“Fair point,” Percy concedes. 

Chiron looks to Teddy. “Why don’t you go to my study and pick a puzzle to take home with you.” 

“Okay!” Teddy says happily as Percy sets him down. 

The men listen for Teddy’s fading footsteps before they talk in hushed tones for good measure. 

“So his dad never showed,” Percy says sadly. 

“I’m afraid not,” Chiron says, sliding his hands into his pant pockets. “And sadly, he didn’t seem surprised. Perked up when I told him you were coming for him though.” 

Teddy reappears with a puzzle of a sailboat, and holds it up proudly for Percy to see. “Amelia will like this one!” 

“Great pick, buddy,” Percy praises. “Maybe we can all do it together.” 

The pair bid farewell to Chiron and head back out into the chilly air. Percy takes Teddy’s hand and tucks the puzzle under his other arm as they head down the street, doing his best to process the anger and frustration that courses through him. 

“Percy,” Teddy says after several moments of silence, pulling the older man from his thoughts of throttling Annabeth’s ex. 

“Yeah?”

Teddy’s eyes are bright and soft as he looks up. “I wish you were my dad.” 

Percy’s heart stops for a moment, then melts. He stops walking and crouches down so he is eye level with Teddy, placing his hand on Teddy’s side. 

“You know I love you, right?” he asks, shaking the boy gently. 

Teddy smiles big, and nods. “Uh huh. I love you too.” 

“Good,” Percy says with a wink. He stands back up, placing a kiss to Teddy’s head as he goes. “Now what should we pick up for dinner? Your mom said Chinese.” 

“I think we should get burgers and milkshakes.” 

“A man after my own heart.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Part III:**

It’s a beautiful summer night on a New York rooftop, where Percy stands in a navy blue suit and black tie, flanked by two six year olds who are each in suits of their own. They are surrounded by a beautiful garden, whose hedges are wrapped in fairy lights that cast them in a soft white glow, making Percy feel like he’s in a fairytale. 

The elevator on the other side of the small courtyard dings, and its doors slide open to reveal Annabeth in a fitted silver dress that stops just above her knees. The sight of her knocks the wind out of Percy, and he is overwhelmed by the realization that he really is in a fairytale. 

“Hi mommy!” Teddy shouts, waving frantically at his mother. 

Annabeth waves with one hand while the other moves to cover her mouth, and Percy wonders if she’s covered in goosebumps like he is. The time it takes her to walk to Percy and the kids feels like the blink of an eye and an eternity all at the same time. 

“Percy,” she says as she gets close, taking his outstretched hands and admiring how cute the kids look at his sides. 

“Bet you weren’t expecting this for family night, huh?” he asks with that teasing smirk of his. 

“I’ll be honest, I had my money on mini golf until I saw the dress.” 

Percy smiles as his heart swells with all the love he feels for her, and before he knows it, he is dropping down to one knee and pulling a small velvet box from his jacket pocket. 

Teddy leans forward, looking around Percy at Amelia. “Do we get down too?” he asks in a loud whisper. 

“I don’t remember,” Amelia whispers back. 

“You guys can just stand,” Percy says, keeping his eyes on Annabeth’s. “Please excuse my accomplices, they’re a little excited.” 

“Understandable,” Annabeth says with a reassuring smile. “Would you like to continue?” 

“Please,” he says. He takes another deep breath. “I have had a crush on you ever since you split the last sugar cookie with me at kindergarten parent night… even though you took the bigger half.” 

“I did not!” she protests. He gives her a look and she presses her lips together in a silent apology for interrupting. 

“You are so much smarter than me, and you make me laugh every single day, and I have _never_ in my life seen someone as beautiful as you. Not to mention the fact that you are an amazing mom, not only to Teddy but to Amelia too, and that alone means so much to me. But more than all of that, when I’m with you, I feel like I’ve gotten my happy ending.” 

Tears gather in Annabeth’s eyes as she bites her lip, trying to hold it together. Percy drops her hand gently and opens the small box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. 

“Annabeth Chase, you are the love of my life, and there is nothing I want more than to raise these absolute insane, weirdo kids with you by my side for as long as you’ll have me,” he says, breathless. “Will you marry me?” 

Annabeth wipes the tears from her eyes, and nods her head. “Yes. Yes, of course I will marry you!” 

Percy smiles from ear to ear as he fumbles to put the ring on Annabeth’s finger. He stands and wraps his arms around her waist while she throws her arms around his neck, pulling each other in. They kiss passionately for longer than either of them can say, leaving the kids looking very bored and mildly disgusted. 

“I love you,” Percy says as he pulls away to rest his forehead against hers. 

Annabeth plays with the hair at the nape of his neck and places another kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I love you too.” 

“What about us?!” Amelia shouts, shoving herself between the couples. 

Annabeth cackles and bends down to pick Amelia up, placing a flurry of kisses to her cheeks. “You look so dapper in your suit.”

Amelia frowns. “What does dapper mean?” 

“Mm… stylish,” Annabeth says. 

“Oh,” Amelia says, frown breaking into a smile. “Thanks!” 

Percy picks up Teddy, straightening his little bow tie for him. “You look really sharp too, my man.” 

Teddy brushes his bangs out of his face with panache. “Thank you very much.” 

Amelia leans her head down on Annabeth’s shoulder and kicks her foot out at her dad. “What now?” 

“I’m hungry,” Teddy says. 

“The restaurant upstairs has a table waiting for us,” Percy says, nodding back towards the elevator as he sets Teddy down. “Why don’t you go push the button.” 

“No, me!” Amelia says, practically launching herself out of Annabeth’s arms. 

The kids race towards the elevator, while Percy takes Annabeth’s hand, and the two take their time following the kids. 

Annabeth hugs Percy’s arm, kissing his shoulder. “I thought you were gonna propose at the beach.” 

“I thought about it,” he admits. “But then I kept having these visions of the kids fighting and knocking the ring into the sand, so I couldn’t go through with it.” 

“Ooh, good call,” Annabeth agrees. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Jackson,” he says playfully. 

“You’re very welcome, Mr. Chase.” 

* * *

Waves lap gently at the shore, washing over Percy and Annabeth’s feet as they wander down the beach after their kids. They walk hand in hand under the late afternoon sun, enjoying the crisp air and feeling of freedom that only a summer day can provide. Teddy carries a red bucket with him as he carefully examines rocks and shells, working to discern if they are worthy of joining his personal collection. 

“Percy, what do you think?” Teddy asks, holding the rock up to Percy’s face. 

Percy screws his face up as he inspects the rock, taking it in his hand to feel the texture, and even holding it up to his ear for good measure. “Seems like a winner to me. What do you think?” 

“I agree,” he says, taking the rock back and immediately dumping it into his bucket. “I’m gonna go find another one.” 

As Teddy runs down the shore, Amelia towards the couple with a rock of her own in her hand. 

“Annabeth, how far do you bet I can throw this?” she asks. 

“Hmm,” Annabeth says as she thinks. “I bet you could throw it all the way to that second wave that’s building right now.” 

Amelia’s eyes get big and she sticks her tongue out of the side of her mouth, winding up her arm and launching the rock out into the distance. They all watch with bated breath as the rock plops into the water at the crest of the wave. 

“Oh yeah!” Percy shouts. 

“I knew you could do it,” Annabeth praises, holding her hand up for a high five. 

Amelia jumps to slap her hand, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “I did it! I gotta go show Teddy how far I can throw.” 

They watch as she runs down the beach to catch up to her stepbrother, leaving behind a trail of tiny footprints that slowly fade as the water washes over them. Percy tugs Annabeth closer, releasing her hand so he can put his arm around her shoulder and place a kiss to the side of her head. 

“Thanks for marrying me,” Percy says, placing another quick kiss to her head. 

Annabeth smiles and lightly squeezes his hip. “Thanks for inviting me to your house for pancakes after Calvin’s party.” 

“That was pretty smooth, wasn’t it?” he says with exaggerated confidence. 

“Not as smooth as when I pulled you in for that kiss.” 

“Which I initiated by scooting in close to you.” 

“Which I prompted by hopping onto the counter.” 

“You can’t just let me have this?” he asks. 

“Mm… I’m afraid not,” she answers. “But I’ll let you have something else later.” 

Percy feels his cheeks turn pink and he can’t help but laugh as they come to a stop. “Mrs. Jackson, are you trying to seduce me?” 

“Maybe I am,” she says innocently as they turn to face each other. 

Annabeth places her hands on Percy’s face, and he smiles at the cold of her wedding ring against his cheek. Slowly, she pulls him towards her and as always, he melts under her touch, wanting nothing in that moment other than to be as close to her as humanly possible. He slides his hands into the back pockets of her jeans, squeezing as he pulls her into him. 

Amelia and Teddy’s yells pull the couple’s attention away from each other and they turn to see the kids running towards them. 

“What’s going on?” Percy asks suspiciously. 

“Amelia and I made a bet,” Teddy announces. 

“Oh yeah?” Annabeth asks. 

“Teddy thinks my dad can beat you in a race, but I think you’d kick his butt,” Amelia explains. 

Percy places a hand over his heart. “Ouch, kid. No faith in your old man?” 

“No,” she says plainly. 

“Where would we be racing to?” Annabeth asks. 

“The rocks down there,” Teddy says, pointing to a small formation on the shore. 

“What do you say?” Annabeth asks, teasingly nudging Percy’s shoulder. “Think you can beat me?” 

“Oh, I know I can beat you,” he says confidently. 

“Okay, get ready,” Teddy says, drawing a line in the sand with his foot. 

Percy and Annabeth both get into position at the line as the kids move out of the way. 

“Bet you didn’t think you’d spend our honeymoon losing to me in a race at the beach,” Percy teases. 

Annabeth smiles confidently and uses her most patronizing tone. “Your optimism in the face of certain doom is one of the things I love most about you.” 

Percy rolls his eyes and turns to focus on the stretch of beach in front of him. “You’re going down, Jackson.” 

“Not until later, baby,” she whispers back. 

Amelia shouts “go!” but it takes a couple extra seconds for the words to register in Percy’s mind. 

“That wasn’t fair!” he shouts as he runs after Annabeth. 

Annabeth shouts back over her shoulder. “Only losers make excuses!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Part IV:**

Amelia and Teddy sit in their respective doorways which are right across the hall from each other, throwing a ball back and forth with increasing force. 

Percy passes by, and gives them each a warning look. “Remember what happened last time.” 

“My lip feels fine!” Teddy protests. 

“Yeah, he barely even cried,” Amelia adds. 

Percy rolls his eyes and continues on his way into the living room, where Annabeth sits curled on the couch reading a book. He smiles to himself as he approaches, trying to decide how best to bother his wife.

_ Keep it simple,  _ he thinks to himself. He flops onto the couch, and scoots forward until his head rests in Annabeth’s lap. 

“Hi,” she says, smiling as she moves her book to see her husband looking up at her adoringly. 

“Hi,” he says back. “How are you?” 

Annabeth laughs. “I’m as good as I was when you asked me ten minutes ago.” 

“Has it really been a whole ten minutes?” he asks. 

Annabeth rolls her eyes. “I’m pregnant, not porcelain.” 

Percy’s smile grows and he turns his head to press a kiss to Annabeth’s barely showing belly. “Don’t worry, baby, dad’s on the job.” 

Annabeth can’t stop herself from smiling wider as she runs a hand through Percy’s hair. “Are you gonna hover like this for the next seven months?” 

“Absolutely,” he says, looking impossibly proud of himself. “And to be completely honest, I’ll probably only get worse as time goes on.” 

“I appreciate the transparency.” 

“You’re very welcome.” 

“Dad, I’m hungry,” Amelia announces unceremoniously from across the room. 

Percy turns to look her way. “You’re serving the dad puns up on a silver platter, y’know.” 

“Dad,” she says seriously as she crosses her arms. 

“Amelia,” he says, copying her tone. 

“Excuse me, please,” Teddy interrupts from behind Amelia. “I’d like to get by.” 

Amelia begrudgingly lets him pass, and he inserts himself in the small space between Annabeth and the arm of the sofa. 

“Hi mama,” he says as he nestles into her side. 

Annabeth places a kiss to the top of his head and squeezes him. “Hi baby.” 

Amelia drops her arms and her head falls back. “Daddy, please, I’m starving!” 

Percy takes a deep breath and sits up. “What would you like to eat, Peanut?” 

Amelia chews on her bottom lip as the lines in her forehead deepen. “..... I dunno.” 

Percy drops his head and shakes it, begging any available higher power for patience. “Bear, what about you?” 

Teddy shrugs as he mindlessly traces shapes on the back of Annabeth’s hand. “Mmm… I think I would like… Pancakes!” 

“Ooh, yeah, pancakes!” Amelia agrees. 

Percy looks at Annabeth with raised eyebrows. “My love?” 

“Pancakes sound amazing,” Annabeth says. 

“You’re helping me cook though,” Percy says, pointing right at Amelia. 

“Okay,” she says pleasantly and skips towards the kitchen. 

Percy pulls out a small blue stool 

He stares at her profile as she mixes, her hair tucked behind her left ear and her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth, and can’t believe how beautiful she is. From the screaming newborn she came into the world as, to the fiery little seven year old she is now, he is so grateful to get to be a part of watching her grow. 

“You know, you look just like your grandma when you cook,” Percy says softly, his heart doing cartwheels in his chest. 

Amelia sticks her tongue out a little further, grunting quietly as she speeds up her mixing. “Daddy, I look like grandma all the time.” 

Percy chuckles as he reaches over to move a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. “That’s true, but it’s  _ especially  _ true when you’re making something.” 

“Do you think the baby is gonna look like grandma too?” she asks. 

“I don’t know,” he says. “I kinda think the baby will look like Annabeth. What do you think?” 

Amelia shrugs. 

“What’s wrong, Peanut?” Percy asks, suddenly worried. 

Amelia stops mixing and turns to her dad with tears in her eyes. “Are you gonna love the baby more than you love me?” 

Percy’s heart tries to make a break for it, wanting to jump right out of his chest and head straight for Amelia. He steps closer and takes her face in his hands. “Of course not, Peanut.” 

Amelia wipes at her eyes and sniffles. “Are you sure?” 

“Hey,” he says, putting his forehead to hers. “Who ties the best figure eight knot in this whole family?”

A smile tugs at the corner of Amelia’s mouth. “Me.” 

“And who is my favorite person to spend the whole day at the aquarium with?” 

A sparkle appears in her eyes. “Me.” 

“And who punched that La Rue kid when she wouldn’t leave Teddy alone?”

Amelia laughs. “Me.” 

“That’s right,” he says, placing a soft kiss to her forehead. “You’re already a great sister, and you’re gonna be the best big sister in the whole wide world.” 

“I am very strong,” she says as she sniffles again. “So that’s good.” 

“You’re so strong,” Percy agrees. “And you’re my whole heart, Amelia. Nothing is ever gonna change that. But just like I love you and Teddy the same, I’m gonna love this baby the same. Family’s can always make room for new people, remember?” 

Amelia looks down for a moment as she thinks, then looks back at her dad. “Like how I love mommy and Annabeth?” 

“Exactly like that,” he confirms. 

“Oh,” she says, as if something has clicked. “Okay.” 

With another shrug, she turns back to the pancake batter and resumes mixing. Percy exhales, as if he’s just finished running through an elite dad obstacle course, and perhaps he has. With another steadying breath, a thought occurs to him.

“I feel like these pancakes should definitely be blue,” he says. “What do you think, chef?” 

“Hell yeah!” Amelia shouts excitedly. 

“Dude.” 

Amelia winces. “Sorry, daddy.” 

“You’re lucky you’re so damn cute,” he says with the shake of his head. “Now, do you remember where we left the food coloring after we made those cupcakes last week?” 

* * *

Teddy and Amelia stand in the doorway of the hospital room holding hands, both looking as nervous as can be. Sally stands behind them, a hand on each of their shoulders, reassuring them it is okay to go inside. 

“Hey, guys,” Percy says in a hushed tone. He thanks his mom with a kiss on the cheek, and bends down to be eye level with the kids. “You two feeling okay?” 

They both nod, not saying a word. 

“Are you scared?” Percy asks. 

They both shake their heads. 

Percy smiles. “What about nervous?” 

“Teddy is,” Amelia offers, always deflecting. 

Teddy nods. “Mhmm. Is my mommy okay?” 

“She’s great, Bear, just tired. You wanna come in and see her?” 

Teddy puts his index finger to his mouth and chews on it nervously as he nods again. 

“What about you, Peanut?” Percy asks. “You gonna come in and keep Teddy company?” 

Amelia looks at Teddy then at Percy. “Okay.” 

Percy stands and holds out his hands for the kids to take, which they do happily. Slowly, he walks them over to the bed where Annabeth is resting and stops a few feet away to give them a minute to process the sight. 

Annabeth looks over and immediately smiles. “Hey kids.” 

Teddy waves, still too nervous to approach uninvited. “Hi mama.” 

Amelia moves behind Percy’s leg a bit, and he moves his hand to cradle her head. 

Annabeth holds her arms out and motions for them to approach. “Can you come say hi?” 

Teddy smiles, rushing over to his mom’s side to carefully climb onto the bed to give her a kiss and a hug while Amelia is slower on the uptake, pulling Percy along with her as she very cautiously walks over to stand next to the bed. 

“Are you okay?” she asks in a quiet voice. 

Annabeth smiles, offering Amelia her hand. “Yes, Captain, I’m good. How are you?” 

Amelia shrugs. “I’m okay too.” 

“Are you guys ready to meet your sister?” Percy asks. 

Again, both kids nod. Percy walks to the bassinet and retrieves baby Jackson, who coos in her father’s arms, and carefully hands her to Annabeth. 

“Amelia, Teddy,” Annabeth says softly. “This is your baby sister.” 

“Woah,” Amelia says as her eyes widen. 

“She’s beautiful,” Teddy whispers, and Percy nearly starts to cry. 

“What’s her name?” Amelia asks, climbing up on the bed to get a better look. 

“We were actually hoping you guys would help us with that,” Percy explains. “We’re stuck between two options. Ruth and Eleanor.” 

The kids are quiet for a moment, caught in the wonder of watching their baby sister wiggle until she finds herself comfortable enough to doze back off to sleep. Teddy begins to mumble under his breath, and the rest of the family just watches him. 

He gingerly reaches out and runs his index finger along the baby’s little hand. “I like both names,” he says. 

“The point is to pick one, dweeb,” Amelia says in a mismatching, kind tone. 

Teddy shakes his head. “No, I mean she should have both, dweeb. Ruth Eleanor.” 

Percy looks at Annabeth in surprise. “Why didn’t we think of that?” 

“I’ve been busy bringing a new life into the world, I don’t know what your excuse is,” she says teasingly. 

“Ruth Eleanor Jackson,” Percy says. 

“That’s nice,” Amelia adds, reaching over to gently poke her sister’s cheek. 

Annabeth leans forward and places a kiss to Teddy’s head. “Great job, my sweet boy.” 

Teddy smiles proudly and leans his head on Annabeth’s shoulder. “Thank you. I didn’t even know I was good at naming babies.” 

Percy affectionately ruffles Teddy’s hair. “Definitely add it to your resumé.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Part V:**

Ruthie sits at the head of the table, resting her chin against one hand while the other taps a slow steady rhythm onto the tabletop. 

“I don’t get it,” she says, dropping her hand dramatically. 

Teddy rests his forehead against the table with a sigh while Amelia covers her face with both hands. 

“Okay,” Percy says, ready to try again. “Remember how we talked about the word biological?” 

Ruthie scrunches her face as she thinks. “Uh huh.”

“I am your biological dad, and I’m Amelia’s biological dad, but I’m  _ not  _ Teddy’s biological dad.” 

“And I’m your biological mom,” Annabeth says, jumping in. “And I’m Teddy’s biological mom, but I’m  _ not  _ Amelia’s biological mom.” 

Ruthie nods slowly, her little six year old brain working overtime behind her green eyes. She looks at her siblings, who are both sitting back up, and chews on her bottom lip. 

“Just say what you’re thinking,” Teddy prompts, visibly bracing himself. 

“Why do you call mom and dad mom and dad if they’re not your mom and dad?” Ruthie asks, rushing her words. “Who even is your mom and dad?” 

“My mom is your aunt Rachel,” Amelia explains for the tenth time. 

Ruthie’s eyes get big as she focuses on Teddy. “Does that mean uncle Grover is your dad?” 

Teddy slaps a hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter, and looks to Annabeth for some help. 

“Honeybee, you don’t know Teddy’s biological dad,” she explains. 

Ruthie leans back in the chair and throws her arms over her head. “This is so confusing.” 

Percy, Annabeth, Amelia and Teddy all exchange a series of exhausted looks, none of them able to think of any other way to explain the situation to the littlest Jackson. 

Amelia smacks her own forehead. “We’re so dumb.” 

Without another word, she disappears into the living room and quickly returns with the family iPad. The FaceTime call tone rings twice when the person at the other end picks up, and the slight crackle of static tells everyone who it is. 

“Hey, angel!” Rachel says happily. “What’s going on?” 

“Hi mom,” Amelia says with a smile. “Do you have a minute to help with something?” 

“Of course,” Rachel says. “You’ve got great timing, I just finished a _divine_ yoga session so I’m as centered as I could possibly be. Hit me.” 

Amelia explains the quandary to her mom and promptly hands the iPad to Ruthie. 

“Hi aunt Rachel,” Ruthie says with a wave. 

“If it isn’t my favorite ray of sunshine,” Rachel says. “Why don’t you go somewhere private and we can talk for a minute.” 

Ruthie nods and casually carries the tablet into the pantry, closing the door behind her. 

“Weird kid,” Percy says. 

A few minutes later, Ruthie pops out of the pantry with her tablet under her arm, looking absolutely stunned. “Daddy, I can’t believe aunt Rachel used to be your girlfriend!” 

Percy feels himself immediately blush. “Well, I— it was a long time ago.” 

Annabeth is too busy laughing at her husband to notice that her daughter’s attention has shifted to her. 

“And mommy,” Ruthie scolds. “You had another boyfriend?!” 

Annabeth frowns as Percy snickers. “Life is complicated, okay.” 

“This is crazy!” Ruthie shouts. “This family is crazy!” 

“No wonder you fit in so perfectly,” Amelia teases, reaching to like Ruthie’s side. 

The little girl giggles and puts the iPad on the table before walking to stand between her brother and sister. She carefully stands on the footrests of their chairs and puts her arms around their necks, pulling them into her. 

“Don’t worry, aunt Rachel said you’re both mine.” 

“What a relief,” Amelia says with an eye roll. 

Teddy kisses the side of Ruthie’s head. “Thank god for that.” 

* * *

The Jackson-Chase home is always quiet whenever Percy is gone on business, making it strange that, at almost midnight, there is a knock on the bedroom door. 

“Come in,” Annabeth calls out, placing her bookmark and setting her book down on her nightstand. 

The door opens slightly and Amelia, with tears in her eyes, pokes her head into the room. “Can I lay in bed with you?” she asks. 

“Of course, sweetheart,” she says, immediately scooting over in bed and opening up the covers. 

Amelia scoots in and immediately wiggles herself down, placing her head on Annabeth’s chest and hugging her tightly. 

“You okay?” Annabeth asks. 

Amelia shakes her head and snuggles in closer to Annabeth. “Bad day.” 

Annabeth tucks Amelia’s head under her chin and wraps her arms tighter around her unusually emotional stepdaughter. “Wanna call dad? He told me he was gonna be up late working so we can--” 

“No,” Amelia squeaks. 

“Okay… What about your mom?” 

Amelia huffs out a breath. “She’d just tell me to like, meditate with crystals or something. Which is fine normally but I just… I just need  _ you _ right now.” 

Annabeth wonders if Amelia can feel the backflips her heart does as the young woman’s words wash over her. She places a kiss to the top of Amelia’s head and hopes her voice doesn’t crack. “Okay, Cap... I love you.” 

“I love you, too, mom.” Amelia mumbles. 

* * *

Father’s Day is arguably Percy’s favorite day of the year. Sure his birthday is great, and who doesn’t love dressing up for Halloween, eating obnoxious amounts of food on Thanksgiving, and putting up pretty lights for Christmas, but something about Father’s Day just  _ feels  _ different. 

It is 6:20am and Percy sits on the familiar sands of Montauk waiting for the sun to rise. The sky is light and birds all around him are starting their day, creating an ambiance that reminds Percy of his favorite summer days spent here with his mom. He takes a sip of his coffee and notes the way its warmth spreads through him, wanting to take stock of every minor detail on this sure to be gorgeous day. 

“What are you doing out here all by yourself, old man?” 

Percy looks up, smiling to see Teddy sitting down next to him. “Morning, Bear. You’re up early.” 

Teddy smiles as he looks out at the ocean. “I heard you in the kitchen and thought you might like some company.” 

Percy playfully knocks his shoulder into Teddy’s. “Well you thought right. Always happy to share a moment of peace with you.” 

They sit in silence for quite some time, watching as the sun languorously stretches its arms over the horizon. Oranges, reds, and pinks give way to soft shades of blue as the morning progresses, and Percy is in awe of the work of art that the world paints before them. 

“Remember that sunset watercolor you made in third grade?” Percy asks, his eyes still on the sky. “I swear this looks just like that.” 

“How could I forget? You kept it on the fridge for months,” Teddy says with a bit of embarrassment. 

“I still have it,” Percy says, laughing into his coffee. 

“No way,” Teddy asks, looking at Percy. “Where?” 

“I keep it in my desk drawer, actually,” Percy admits. “You were so proud of it when you brought it home and, I don’t know… looking at it just makes me happy. I like remembering you like that. A couple of missing front teeth, curls hanging in your face, and a smile so bright I bet they could have seen it from space.” 

Percy feels Teddy’s eyes on him, and turns to look at the now seventeen year old who is now taller than him and no doubt headed for any ivy league school of his choice. Teddy looks stunned, which in turn, stuns Percy. 

“What?” he asks in alarm. 

Teddy shakes his head and turns back to the water. “Nothing.” 

“That wasn’t a nothing look,” Percy pushes. 

“I just…” Teddy begins. “... Can I give you your gift early?” 

“Sure,” Percy says. 

“Okay, wait here,” Teddy urges. 

He retreats to the cabin and returns a few minutes later with a large manila envelope that he hands to Percy as he sits. Percy mischievously shakes the envelope, hoping to get a clue of what’s inside, but comes up empty. Carefully, he bends the metal prongs that keep it sealed and closes his eyes as he reaches inside to pull out what feels like a stack of papers. 

He opens his eyes and what he sees knocks the wind right from his lungs. 

“Teddy,” he says as tears spring to his eyes. 

“I know I’ve been calling you dad since I was like eight, but I-- I guess I was just hoping we could finally make it official?” Teddy says, his voice gentle and scared. 

Percy chokes back a sob as he looks at the little boy, now a young man, who is better than any son he could have ever dreamed up for himself. “Nothing would make me happier.” 

Teddy is now the one crying, and Percy carefully tucks the adoption papers away before scooting closer to be able to give his son a hug. 

“I love you, kid,” Percy chokes out as squeezes Teddy tighter than he ever has. 

Teddy squeezes him right back. “I love you, too, dad.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is for Hannah, cause you're my best pal and I just love ya

**Part VI:**

Christmas has historically been Annabeth’s least favorite time of the year. Growing up, she never had those warm and fuzzy family moments that the movies always seem to be peddling and even as an adult, the holidays never quite lived up to the hype. She loved making it special for Theo, of course, but the stress of presents and Santa and cheer always seemed to overshadow the fun parts. 

All of that changed when Percy and Amelia Jackson walked into her life. Their joy around the holiday was infectious from the very beginning, and Annabeth found it impossible to resist. Between Sally’s baked goods, the kids doing impossibly cute arts and crafts, and Percy treating gift giving like making an offering at a god’s altar, Annabeth was able to find her own Christmas groove. 

As she might’ve guessed, she likes the quiet moments the best. Late nights wrapping gifts while everyone else sleeps. A cup of coffee before anyone else wakes up. Cuddling on the couch while the kids play with new toys and a movie plays on the tv. And who could forget the late night kisses with her husband under the mistletoe. 

Even with adult kids, the Jackson family holds Christmas near and dear to their hearts. Ruthie arrives first, exhaling as soon as she walks through the door to celebrate surviving another semester of college. She greets her parents with big, long hugs and pours herself onto the floor in front of the fireplace to lounge with Mrs. O’Leary, cuddling the giant black dog like it has been years since they last met and not just a few short weeks. Soon, Sally appears from her room to greet her youngest grandchild, and invites Ruthie to help her bake the first round of holiday cookies that will be sent out to friends throughout the city. 

“Amelia is gonna be so jealous,” Ruthie brags as she takes a picture of a sugar cookie before popping it into her mouth. “Teddy, too.” 

Percy smiles as he dips a chocolate chip cookie in milk. “He was already planning to come over after work cause he knew you two would bake.” 

“Smart man,” Annabeth praises as she carefully selects a shortbread cookie. 

“Is aunt Rachel coming to town this year?” Ruthie asks. 

“I’m not sure?” Percy says, looking at Annabeth. 

Annabeth shakes her head. “She’ll be in Paris with her parents. She’s still trying to get Amelia and Adelaide to go out there for the New Year.” 

“If Amelia won’t go, I will,” Ruthie says as she has another cookie. “ _ Especially  _ if it’s on the private jet.” 

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” Sally says dreamily. 

Percy laughs to himself. “Can you imagine if the Dares flew us all out to Paris to celebrate New Year’s?” 

Annabeth, Sally, and Ruthie all exchange a look, holding space for the possibility of it all. 

Annabeth grabs another cookie and turns to head to the living room where her phone is. “I’ll make a call.” 

Ruthie smiles from ear to ear. “Having a rich sister is the best.”

* * *

The morning of New Year’s Day is not traditionally a time Percy is at his best, but at fifty-five years old, he is long past his days of staying up late and partying to ring in the new year (minus Paris a couple years prior. Paris doesn’t count). So instead of sleeping in late and nursing a hangover, he sits on the back porch of his house with a hot cup of coffee, enjoying the cold morning air. He hears the back door open behind him, and soon he is joined by this two oldest kids. 

Amelia takes a seat on the step below him, sitting sideways so she looks on at her dad and brother, while Teddy sits next to Percy, each of them with a cup of coffee in hand as well. 

“You guys are up early,” Percy says with a curious look. “I was sure I wouldn’t be seeing you until mid-day.” 

“A couple of kids can’t jump on some dad time?” Amelia asks as she takes a sip of her coffee. 

“Yeah, we just wanted some nice quiet time with you,” Teddy adds. 

“How much money do you guys need?” Percy asks, his expression turning serious for a moment. 

Teddy and Amelia both laugh into their coffees, shaking their heads. 

“You’re getting paranoid in your old age,” Amelia says. 

“Maybe so,” Percy says, as he continues looking between his kids. “But I’ve been a dad long enough to know when my kids have an ulterior motive. So spill.” 

“You first or me?” Teddy asks. 

Amelia thinks for a moment, then rolls her eyes. “Yours is way better so I should go first.”

“Mine isn’t better,” Teddy replies. 

“Spare me,” she says, holding up her hand to stop him. She clears her throat and looks at her dad. “This is corny, and you know I don’t really do corny, but being thirty has made me into a very emotional person so here we are.” 

“Okay…” Percy says. 

“I love you, dad,” she says plainly and sincerely. “For as long as I can remember, you’ve been my best friend and I just… I’m really grateful for you. Most people my age are stuck processing how much they hate their dads, but not me. And I just hope that when I have kids, I can be even half as good to them as you’ve been to me.” 

Percy’s breathing becomes short as he struggles to stay calm. His words get stuck in his throat, so instead he just nods. 

“All that to say…” Amelia continues. “Addie and I have decided to move closer to you and mom because… well, we’re gonna try for a baby in the next year.” 

Percy huffs out a breath, overwhelmed by the love crashing down over him. 

“Peanut,” he mews as tears fill his eyes. 

Amelia smiles, and for a flash, she’s four years old all over again. “I love you, too, daddy.” 

“My turn?” Teddy asks sheepishly. 

“Oh god, I forgot there’s more,” Percy says, turning to his son. 

“Well, you already know Stella’s pregnant,” Teddy says with a laugh. 

“I heard rumors,” Percy says, trying to ease his own nerves with the joke. 

Teddy smiles. “The rumors are true. But, what you don’t know is that… we’re having a boy.” 

Percy covers his mouth and nods, trying to hold it together. 

“And we’ve been bouncing around names the past couple weeks, and there’s one I keep coming back to.” 

Amelia squeezes Percy’s leg in support, as he holds his breath. 

Teddy runs his bottom lip through his teeth and sits up straight as he looks Percy in the eye. “I was hoping that we could get your blessing to name him after you.” 

Percy is sure his heart stops beating. 

“Everything I learned about being a good man, I learned from you,” Teddy says with tears in his eyes. “And, in my opinion, the world could use as many Percy Jacksons as it can get.” 

Percy is quiet for a moment, blinking slowly as he processes. “Are you guys trying to kill me?” he finally asks, his voice cracking as tears run down his face. 

The kids laugh and scoot in closer. Amelia rests her chin on Percy’s knee, while Teddy throws an arm over Percy’s shoulders. 

“We love you,” Teddy says. 

“A lot,” Amelia adds. 

Percy sniffles. “I love you guys more than… everything.” 

They sit there for a while holding onto each other, their coffees abandoned to the side, as the quiet of the morning settles in, holding the family in its arms. 

Until the back door swings wide open with a shrill creak. 

“Who the hell authorized family time without me?” Ruthie shouts across the deck. “You guys know I have a complex about this!” 

“Mom’s not here, it doesn’t count,” Amelia shoots back. 

“I’ll be the judge of that,” the baby declares. “Dad, you owe me blue pancakes for this.” 

Percy laughs, placing a kiss to Amelia’s head and then Teddy’s. “All my babies can get as many blue pancakes as they want.” 

“But I get the most,” Ruthie says as she leads them back inside. “Because I have suffered.” 

“Of course, Monster,” Percy says, placing a kiss to her head. 

Ruthie finally really looks at her dad, and frowns. “Have you been crying? You look puffy.” 

* * *

The Jackson home is filled to the brim this Christmas. 

Annabeth navigates her way through their packed living room with two glasses of wine in hand and sits on the staircase next to Percy, handing him his. 

“You happy?” she asks as she scoots in close to him. 

“How could I not be?” he asks, taking a sip of his drink. “All the kids are home, I’m a grandpa now, and I’ve got a wife who’s a straight smoke show. Everything's coming up Jackson.” 

Annabeth laughs as she drapes her arm across his shoulder, and pulls him in to place a kiss to his temple. “Do you remember what you told me our first Christmas together?” 

Percy frowns for a moment, thinking. “....No. I talk a lot.” 

Annabeth rolls her eyes at his comment, and carries on. “You told me that real happiness in life is having a house full of people who love you.” 

“I said that?” he asks, pointing to himself in disbelief. “Damn, I’m good.” 

“Yeah, you are,” she says, looking at him fondly. “I mean, just look around.” 

Percy takes stock of the room, growing quiet as he watches his mom holding her great-grandchild as she chats with Teddy and Stella. Amelia sits in front of the couch working on a puzzle with Grover, as her pregnant wife sits above her, braiding her hair. Ruthie sits near the Christmas tree with Mrs. O’Leary’s head in her lap as she plays a tense game of go-fish with the Beauregard-Beckendorf boys. And Charles and Chiron are playing a game of chess while Rachel reads Silena’s palm nearby.

Looking out at all these people who mean so much to her, Annabeth is filled with a happiness she never thought she would come to know. She looks back down at her husband, admiring the wisps of gray that have salted his dark hair and the laugh lines that are worn into his cheeks from a lifetime of sharing his joy out loud, and she thinks she’s never in her life seen a more beautiful person. 

“We made this,” Annabeth says quietly, pulling Percy’s attention back to her. “Together.”

He looks up at her like she hung the moon and all the stars right along with it, and gives her a smile sweeter than the honey she takes in her tea. She feels her own smile spread across her face in response, an effect he has had on her from the moment they met, and she moves her hand to his cheek. 

“Thanks for building this life with me, Percy Jackson,” she whispers. 

He leans into her touch, and her heart beats as quickly as it did the first time they ever kissed. 

She suspects his does too. 

He slowly turns to place a kiss to the palm of her hand, and when he speaks, his voice is smooth and steady, like his touch. 

“I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” 

the end.


End file.
